If it is a metaphor, then it's a pretty crappy one to teach people. "You are guilty for something that you didn't do or even intend to do". Not only that, but not guilty based on some kind of harm caused, but by disobeying a nonsensible order. And not only that, but Eve didn't even know she was being 'bad' by disobeying since she didn't know about good and evil until she ate the thing. It doesn't make sense on so many levels.
Actually its not about being guilty because of something you didn't do. Any time you feel jealousy, lust, anger, hatred, any of these "negative" emotions, you sin. If you succumb to them in any way, you REALLY sin. pretty much everyone is a sinner because everyone is human. That is a great trick of christianity: demonize what we all feel so that we all feel wrong about feeling what we feel, and turn to them to feel better. That's what confession's all about.
Scented Nectar Wrote:(May 6, 2010 at 7:02 pm)fr0d0 Wrote: He doesn't condemn us WE condemn us!That would mean that no one goes to hell unless they want to go. The unrepentant 'sinner' does not get this self choice according to xtianity. It the god who condemns, not the victim of that condemnation. That victim is only given the choice "gimme your wallet or I'll shoot you", but much worse of course, since the wallet is "think and do whatever I tell you for your whole life after this conversation" and the gun is "torture that never stops".
Of course though, the robbery was the victim's own fault. They were asking for it, I guess.
Actually its not about being guilty because of something you didn't do. Any time you feel jealousy, lust, anger, hatred, any of these "negative" emotions, you sin. If you succumb to them in any way, you REALLY sin. pretty much everyone is a sinner because everyone is human. That is a great trick of christianity: demonize what we all feel so that we all feel wrong about feeling what we feel, and turn to them to feel better. That's what confession's all about.
